On the eve of a national day of protest he called against the Albanian government, former President Sali Berisha on Wednesday dared authorities to come and get him. Diplomats tried to talk both sides out of a bloody confrontation. Berisha and about 1,500 supporters ignored a ban and held a peaceful protest in the streets as parliament moved closer to lifting Berisha's immunity from prosecution.

Ramiz Alia Albania's last communist leader Ramiz Alia, 85, who was Albania's last communist president and is credited with opening to democracy one of the world's most isolationist political systems, died Friday of lung complications, an Albanian official announced. He assumed leadership of the Albanian Communist Party in 1985 after the death of his longtime friend, dictator Enver Hoxha. After a series of massive student protests, Alia introduced political and economic reforms that paved the way for the country's first free elections in 1991.

President Sali Berisha resigned and handed power to the Socialists who won June 29 elections. Socialist Party leaders have said their secretary-general, Rexhep Mejdani, will be their choice to replace Berisha, who will remain in parliament. The Socialists' overwhelming election victory came after months of chaos and violence that followed the collapse of high-risk investment schemes. Berisha and his Democratic Party were widely blamed for the economic hardship.

Parliament on Friday stripped former President Sali Berisha of his immunity from prosecution for an alleged coup attempt, pushing him to the wall in a dispute with the Albanian government. Just hours after Berisha failed to mobilize his promised mass protests, parliament--which his Democratic Party is boycotting--cleared the way for the government to order his arrest. Foreign diplomats were trying to talk the government out of acting.

While rebelling southerners reinforced their combat positions, President Sali Berisha on Friday rejected international pressure and his opponents' demands for new elections. In talks with European envoys, Berisha also refused to bring his rivals, the Socialists, into a governing coalition. He said he has done all he is willing to do--temporarily suspend military offensives against the militants.

University professor Sali Berisha, leader of Albania's victorious Democratic Party, was swept into politics by his students a year ago. "I saw democracy was vital for Albania. I didn't begin this to be a politician, just to do my duty as a citizen," he said. The Tirana university cardiologist dodged troops and tanks to join his students in December 1990, in defying the omnipotent Communist regime with pro-democracy protests.

Protesters angry over the killing of an opposition leader set fire to Albania's main government building Sunday and sent the prime minister and his Cabinet fleeing in a hail of gunfire. One protester was killed and four guards of Prime Minister Fatos Nano were wounded as marchers and police traded gunfire. Clouds of smoke from burning cars rose over the center of Tirana, the capital.

Ramiz Alia Albania's last communist leader Ramiz Alia, 85, who was Albania's last communist president and is credited with opening to democracy one of the world's most isolationist political systems, died Friday of lung complications, an Albanian official announced. He assumed leadership of the Albanian Communist Party in 1985 after the death of his longtime friend, dictator Enver Hoxha. After a series of massive student protests, Alia introduced political and economic reforms that paved the way for the country's first free elections in 1991.

Revolt spread throughout most of southern Albania on Monday, but rebel leaders from one key city agreed after talks with Italian diplomats to lay down their arms. Representatives from the port city of Vlore said they wanted swift implementation of a peace deal between President Sali Berisha and his political opponents. The declaration by eight representatives of the Vlore rebel committee was signed on an Italian warship at a meeting with Italy's ambassador to Albania, Paolo Foresti.

Rifts opened in President Sali Berisha's right-wing party Friday, aggravating the crisis in lawless Albania as it prepares for deployment of an Italian-led security force of up to 6,000 troops. About 20 Democratic Party parliament members said they will no longer "accept the diktat of the president" and accused Berisha of seizing too much power. Their statement was the strongest criticism yet of Berisha from his own ranks since unrest broke out in the nation last month.

The nation tottered on the brink of chaos Thursday after another day of protests in which former President Sali Berisha called on his supporters to defy a government ban and stage the biggest demonstrations in the country's history. In a speech to about 2,000 supporters, Berisha told backers to march peacefully throughout the country today.

On the eve of a national day of protest he called against the Albanian government, former President Sali Berisha on Wednesday dared authorities to come and get him. Diplomats tried to talk both sides out of a bloody confrontation. Berisha and about 1,500 supporters ignored a ban and held a peaceful protest in the streets as parliament moved closer to lifting Berisha's immunity from prosecution.

Protesters angry over the killing of an opposition leader set fire to Albania's main government building Sunday and sent the prime minister and his Cabinet fleeing in a hail of gunfire. One protester was killed and four guards of Prime Minister Fatos Nano were wounded as marchers and police traded gunfire. Clouds of smoke from burning cars rose over the center of Tirana, the capital.

President Sali Berisha resigned and handed power to the Socialists who won June 29 elections. Socialist Party leaders have said their secretary-general, Rexhep Mejdani, will be their choice to replace Berisha, who will remain in parliament. The Socialists' overwhelming election victory came after months of chaos and violence that followed the collapse of high-risk investment schemes. Berisha and his Democratic Party were widely blamed for the economic hardship.

Hours after deploying armed guards into the streets of Tirana in a show of force, President Sali Berisha on Wednesday made his clearest commitment yet to leaving office. But he refused to be pinned down to a date during his first news conference since his conservative Democratic Party suffered a staggering loss to a Socialist-led leftist coalition in parliamentary elections Sunday.

Key aides to Albanian President Sali Berisha were reported Tuesday to have abandoned the country even as his party threatened to reject Sunday's election results and boycott a new parliament. Diplomats cautioned that the situation in Albania remained precarious two days after parliamentary elections designed to rescue the Balkan country from anarchy.

Hours after deploying armed guards into the streets of Tirana in a show of force, President Sali Berisha on Wednesday made his clearest commitment yet to leaving office. But he refused to be pinned down to a date during his first news conference since his conservative Democratic Party suffered a staggering loss to a Socialist-led leftist coalition in parliamentary elections Sunday.

Amid escalating violence in the run-up to elections in Albania, gunfire forced President Sali Berisha to beat a hasty retreat from a campaign rally here Thursday. Several people were wounded after Berisha's guards turned their weapons on an unfriendly crowd. Berisha rushed from the town square, surrounded by a gaggle of his aides, after speaking for barely five minutes.

Amid signs of a landslide victory for Albania's Socialists in parliamentary elections, President Sali Berisha conceded defeat to his bitter rivals Monday and hinted that he would step down. A somber Berisha went on national television, his first appearance since Sunday's crucial vote, and declared that his Democratic Party would become part of the "loyal opposition."

Amid escalating violence in the run-up to elections in Albania, gunfire forced President Sali Berisha to beat a hasty retreat from a campaign rally here Thursday. Several people were wounded after Berisha's guards turned their weapons on an unfriendly crowd. Berisha rushed from the town square, surrounded by a gaggle of his aides, after speaking for barely five minutes.